Lipstick container



March 3, 1953 L; E. lsELE LIPSTICK CONTAINER Filed March 25.

Ill

INVENTOR. [011151 [Sele Patented Mar. 3, 1953 LI?STICK CONTAINERY Louis Edward Isele, Oakville, Conn., assigner to The Eyelet Specialty Company, Waterbury,

Conn.

Application March 25, 1950, Serial No. 151,967

7 Claims.

This invention relates to cosmetic holders, and particularly to those of the type employed for containing lipstick materials and such other cosmetics or preparations as are generally provided in stick form.

In many devices used for this purpose, the cosmetio material is contained in a carrier or cup which is advanced toward the open end of an outer tubular shell, or else is retracted into this shell, the advancing and retracting movements of the carrier or cup being effected by manual rotative movement of a head or disk provided at the rear end of the outer tubular shell. Very citeny inadvertent rotative movement of the impelling device occurs while the holder is contained in a handbag, with the result that the cosmetio material is advanced toward the forward end of the holder and into the closure cap removably tted over the same. This sometimes tends to dislodge the cap from the holder, causing the same to fall olf the holder within the handbag, thus exposing the cosmetic material to contact with the interior of the bag or -to contact with articles contained within the bag. If the pressure of the cosmetic material within the holder is insufficient to dislodge the cap, it is often suiicient to cause the end of the cosmetic material to become ilattened or misshapen by pressure against the inside of the cap, so that the application of the cosmetic to the lips is inconven- :an arrangement. Therefore, the primary object pi the invention is the provision of means by 'which the elements of the holder which require :rotative movement relative to one another to advance the cosmetic-carrying cup, will be held lagainst such movement as long as the cover or closure cap of the holder is in its closed position. Thus, as long as the cover or closure cap of the holder remains fitted in place, the advancement or" the cosmetic-carrying cup toward the forward open end of `the holder will be prevented. The invention further contemplates 'the provision of means by which the inner tube of the holder which is normally rotative within the outer shell, will frictionally engage against the outer face of the outer shell to thereby grip the outer shell when the cover is placed in position, so that these `elements will thereupon be maintained together as a unit and relative rotative movement of the same will be prevented, thus avoiding operation of the lcosmetic-advancing device and preventing the consequent advance of the cosmetic material out of the holder. With the clutching or gripping arrangement as above set forth, the closure cap, while serving to render the locking means effective to prevent operation of the cosmeticadvancing means, will nevertheless, be freely rotatable on the body of the holder, enabling the holder and its several elements which are coupled together by the locking device, to be freely rotated as a unit within the cover without causing advancement of the cosmetic material from `within the holder.

I am aware that it has been proposed to provide a locking means by which a tongue, carried by the inner tube, engages into an aperture provided in the outer shell when the cosmetic-carrying cup is in its retracted position, thus locking the inner tube and outer shell together when the cover member or closure cap is placed on the holder. Such an arrangement is disclosed, for example, in my co-pending application, Serial No. 15,071, now Patent No. 2,542,033. The present invention provides a clutching or gripping means in which the necessity for providing one or more apertures in the outer shell is eliminated; the precise placement of the tongue and aperture to receive the same is avoided and a simple, friotional clutching action is attained, with the means on the inner tube frictionally but rmly engaging the surface of the outer shell to couple the inner tube and outer shell together when the cover is tted in position.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will hereinafter be set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the yaccompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of Ithe invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a cosmetio holder made in accordance with the invention, with the closure cap in raised position and partly in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, of the lower portion of the holder; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sec-tional View through the lower end portion of the inner tube; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a part of the lower portion of the inner tube, showing one of the gripping tongues; Fig. 5 is a view of the lower or base portion of the holder, with the cover member in place, with parts broken away, and other parts shown in section, to disclose construction; Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the lower part of the holder, showing a modified construction, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the tongued disk employed in the construction shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates the outer shell of the holder, the same being of tubular formation, and provided with the forward open end 2 through which the cosmetic stick 5, which may be of lip rouge or other cosmetic material is advanced to expose the end of the same for application to the lips or face. Fixed within the outer shell I is a stationary slotted tube I5 provided with a spiral slot. Rotatively mounted within the tube I5 is an inner or propelling tube 3 which, when manually rotated, will advance or retract the cup-shaped cosmetic holder or carrier 5 in the known manner. At one end, the inner or propelling tube 3 is flared as at I3 and around this ilared portion I3 is a Xed disk-like head or cup 4 located at the rear end of the outer shell I and securely xed on the inner tube 3. Said disk-like head or cup 4 constitutes anger-piece for engagement by the fingers to rotate the propelling tube 3 inside ofthe stationary tube I5 and within the outer shell I. The outer shell I and the propelling tube 3 are held against longitudinal displacement by detents and other means not shown in detail, since the same, and the elements of the device thus far described are known and in use in the trade. It is suihcient to state that the three tubular elements I, I5 and S are held concentrically, with the inner tube 3 rotative within the stationary tube I5 and within the outer shell I.

The cosmetic carrier consists of the cupshaped member 5 in which a stick 6 of the cosmetic material is carried, said carrier having a radially-extending pin, not shown, which rides in the spiral slot in the tube I5 and also in a slot provided in the inner or propelling tube 3. This arrangement, which is also well-known in the trade, is such that when the head or disk 4 is held between the ngers of one hand and is rotated thereby, the propelling tube 3 will be rotated inside of the shell I, and the cosmetic-carrier 5 will be advanced toward the open end 2 of the shell I, or else retracted or moved away from said end, according to the direction of rotation of the head 4. It will thus be clear that through this well-known construction, the advancement or retraction of the cosmetic carrier 5 is dependent upon the rotation of the propelling tube 3 within the shell I.

To maintain the cosmetic-carrying means against undesirable or inadvertent advancing movement toward the open end 2 of the outer shell I, a coupling device is provided, the same consisting of a plurality' of resilient, upstanding tongues 3, three of which are shown, struck out of the side of the inner or propelling tube 3 as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be noted that these three tongues are in equally spaced relation around the tube 3 and are formed from material forced out of the apertures 'I in the tube, and the bases of these tongues rise from theV ared end I 3. It will be further noted that each of these tongues has an upper, slightly inturned, end 9 and is so spaced from the side wall of the tube 3 that the stationary tube I5 and the outer shell I will fit between the tongues 8 and that portion of the tube 3 which is located above the flared portion I3, as seen in Fig. 2.

It will be noted that the outer shell I is provided with a circumferential bead or' rib I2, the purpose of which is to guideV the cover member or closure cap I0 to proper closing position and AI O cause it to fit over or on the outside of the three upstanding tongues 8, and cause said tongues to be eXed inwardly by the skirt I I of the cover to frictionally engage against the outer surface of the outer shell I.

The closure cap or cover member I0 may be of the conventional form used on cosmetic containers, and it includes the skirt portion II. When the closure cap is telescopically tted over the outer shell I in the known manner, the skirt I I, guided by the bead I2, will ride over the three tongues 8 and will thus force the free or hooked ends 9 of these tongues inwardly, causing said tongues to frictionally grip or clutch the outer surface of the outer shell I. While the closure cap remains in position on the holder, the head or disk 4 can be rotated, inadvertently or otherwise, and when that is done, said head 4, instead of acting to rotate the propelling tube 3 within the shell I and tube I5, will, because of the coupling established between the tongues 8 and the outer tube I, rotate the shell I, tube 3 and tube I5 as well as the cup 5 together as a unit, within the closure cap I0. Since there will be no relative movement between the tube 3 and the shell I, the cosmetic-carrying cupA 5 will be held against movement relatively to the tube 3 and the cup will not be advanced but will simply rotate in company with theshell I and tubes 3 and I5.

The tongues 8 are so arranged and disposed that the closure cap may be readily slid over them, guided by the bead I2, and the springy and resilientV nature of the tongues is such that the tongues act as friction members engaging against the inside of the closure cap tending to hold' the cover or closure cap in closed position.

As soon as the closure cap is removed, the tongues 8 will spring outwardly, releasing their grip on the surface of the outer shell I, thus discontinuing the coupling action between the inner tube 3 and the outer shell I, so that the inner tube 3 can then be rotated within the outer shell I by turning the disk 4.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the gripping tongues 20 are provided on a disk 2I tted in the flared end I3 of the propelling tube 3. Said disk is provided with a stamped-out lug 22 which holds it against the upper or shouldered portion of the flared part I3, said lug bearing against the inner face of the disk 4. The tongues 23, which are equally spaced around the edge of the disk 2| project upwardly through apertures 23 provided in the shouldered portion of the tube 3 at the upper end of the flared portion I3 thereof. The tongues 20 are thus positioned to be forced inwardly to frictionally grip or clutch the surface of the outer shell I when the cover member or closure cap is placed in position. While I have described the gripping means as consisting of three equallyspaced tongues, it will be apparent that this number may be increased or decreased to suit various requirements.

Having described several embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a cosmetic container, a cover member, a holder including a plurality of concentric tubes, the inner tube thereof being rotative within the outer tube, a cosmetic carrier located within the inner tube and coupled thereto in a manner to cause the carrier to be moved axially of the tubes when the inner tube is rotated within the outer tube, coupling means including upstanding tongues carried by the inner tube and exposed on the outside of the outer tube in position to be forced inwardly against the surface of the o-uter tube by pressure of the cover member to frictionally grip the surface only of the outer tube at spaced points in its circumference, whereby the inner tube and the outer tube can be rotated together within the cover member.

2. In a cosmetic container, a cover member, a holder including a plurality of concentric tubes, the inner tube thereof being rotative within the outer tube, a cosmetic carrier located within the inner tube and coupled thereto by means which causes the carrier to be moved axially of the tubes when the inner tube is rotated within the outer' tube, a plurality of gripping tongues formed integral with the inner tube and disposed on the outside of the outer tube and caused to be forced inwardly to frictionally engage against an unbroken smooth and regular surface of the outer tube when the cover member is placed on the holder and forces said tongues inwardly against said surface of the outer tube.

3. In a cosmetic container, a cover member, a holder including a plurality of concentric tubes, the inner tube thereof being rotative within the outer tube, a cosmetic carrier located within the inner tube and coupled thereto by means which causes said carrier to be moved axially of the tubes when the inner tube is rotated within the outer tube, at least one gripping tongue carried by the inner tube and having a free end portion located on the outside of the outer tube in position to be forced inwardly and into frictional contact with an unbroken smooth and regular surface of the outer tube to frictionally grip said surface and act as a frictional coupling between the inner and outer tubes, by pressure of the cover member when the cover member is placed on the holder.

4. In a cosmetic container, a cover member, a holder composed of inner and outer tubes, the inner tube projecting beyond one end of the cuter tube, tongues carried by the projecting part of the inner tube and extending longitudinally of the holder and disposed on the outside of the outer tube, a cosmetic carrier moved by relative movement of the inner and outer tubes, the tongues being engaged by the cover member when the same is tted over the holder and forced inwardly into frictional gripping engagement with a smooth, regular surface of the outer tube, whereby the inner and outer tubes can only be rotated together while the cover member is in its closed posiiton.

5. In a cosmetic container as provided for in claim 4, wherein the tongues are in equally spaced relation around the tubes and are free at one end and frictionally engage the cover member when the same is tted over the same to frictionally hold the cover member in closed position.

6. In a cosmetic container as provided for in claim 4, wherein the tongues are provided on a plate tted in an end of the inner tube, said tongues projecting to the outside of the outer tube through apertures formed in the inner tube at the projecting end of the same.

'7. In a cosmetic container, a cover member, a holder composed of inner and outer tubes, the inner tube having a projecting end part, a disk tted in said end part, a cup fitted over said projecting end part, a lug formed on the disk and engaging against the inner face of the cup, spaced tongues formed at the edge of the disk and extending at substantially right angles to the plane of the disk, the inner tube having apertures through which said tongues project to a position on the outside of the outer tube, means on the outer tube for guiding the cover member to closed position over the outside of the tongues to cause the tongues to be sprung inwardly to frictionally grip the outer surface of the outer tube whereby the inner and outer tubes can only be rotated together while the cover is in closed position.

LOUIS EDWARD ISELE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,145,832 Hoffman Jan. 31, 1939 2,340,556 Picinich Feb. 1, 1944 2,491,775 Segal Dec. 20, 1949 

